System and Method for Managing Geographical Maplet Downloads for a Vehicle to Support Stop Sign Violation Assist and Similar Applications

• US 20110015854A1
• Filed: 07/15/2009
• Published: 01/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations | General Motors LLC
• Inventors: Tengler, Steven C., Mudalige, Upali Priyantha
• Granted Patent: US 8,306,735 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/201
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3626 Details of the output of route guidance instructions traffic control systems for road vehicles involving transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3667 Display of a road map G01C21/3614 takes precedence; guidance using 3D or perspective road maps G01C21/3635

Abstract

A method is provided for managing map data for intersections having stop sign indicators. A request is initiated for turn-by-turn navigation instructions for a destination from a vehicle to an infrastructure. A turn-by-turn navigation maplet is transmitted from the infrastructure to the vehicle. A geographical region associated with the received turn-by-turn navigation maplet is identified. A determination is made whether stop sign locations already retained within a memory of the vehicle relate to the identified geographical region. The vehicle on-board device requests stop sign maplets for the identified geographical regions from the infrastructure if the stop sign locations retained within the memory of the vehicle do not relate to the identified geographical region. The stop sign maplets are transmitted for the identified geographical region from the infrastructure to the vehicle. The stop sign maplets relate to stop sign intersection data within the identified geographical region.

Claims

1. A method of managing map data for intersections having stop sign indicators, the method comprising the steps of:

initiating a request for turn-by-turn navigation instructions for a destination from a vehicle to an infrastructure;

transmitting a turn-by-turn navigation maplet from the infrastructure to the vehicle;

identifying a geographical region associated with the received turn-by-turn navigation maplet;

determining whether stop sign locations already retained within a memory of the vehicle relate to the identified geographical region;

if the stop sign locations retained within the memory of the vehicle do not relate to the identified geographical region, then the vehicle on-board device requesting stop sign maplets for the identified geographical regions from the infrastructure; and

transmitting the stop sign maplets for the identified geographical region from the infrastructure to the vehicle, the stop sign maplets relating to stop sign intersection data within the identified geographical region.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of the on-board device receiving the stop sign maplets transmitted by the infrastructure, and the vehicle on-board device utilizing the stop sign maplets to apply a stop sign assistance routine for determining whether the vehicle speed exceeds a threshold for stopping the vehicle at the designated stopping location.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising the step storing the stop sign maplets in the memory of the vehicle.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein a stop sign maplet is protected from being deleted from memory during a retention period comprised of a predetermined number of days, and wherein the stop sign maplet is deleted from memory after the retention period has expired.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the retention period is extended for an additional predetermined period of time if the respective stop sign maplet is retrieved from the memory of the vehicle within a second predetermined number of days since a last usage.

6. The method of claim 3 wherein wherein the retention period is extended for an additional predetermined period of time if the vehicle maintains travel within a predetermined distance from any of the intersections identified by the stop sign maplet.

7. The method of claim 3 wherein the retention period is extended for an additional predetermined period of time if the vehicle maintains travel within a predetermined distance for a residence address stored in the memory.

8. The method of claim 4 wherein the retention period is extended for an additional predetermined period of time if the vehicle maintains travel within a predetermined distance a secondary address stored in the memory.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the stop sign maplets further includes speed limit data for the identified geographical region.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the stop sign location and speed limit data is used to determine whether a stop sign assistance warning should be issued to a driver of the vehicle.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the speed limit data is used to determine whether a curve speed driver assistance warning should be issued to a driver of the vehicle.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein a turn-by-turn navigation maplet includes a segment of the navigation route, wherein a plurality of turn-by-turn navigation maplets are transmitted to the vehicle, wherein each respective turn-by-turn navigation maplet has a respective geographical region identifier and wherein a determination is made whether respective stop sign locations already retained within the memory of the vehicle relate to the geographical region identifier.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein a turn-by-turn navigation maplet transmitted to the vehicle includes the entire navigation route as a single entity, wherein the turn-by-turn navigation maplet includes respective geographical region identifiers, and wherein a determination is made whether respective stop sign locations are already retained within the memory of the vehicle for the respective geographical region identifiers.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein a turn-by-turn navigation maplet transmitted to the vehicle comprises a set of nodes each having a geographical positioning identifier.

15. A system for managing map data for intersections having stop sign indicators, the system comprising:

an infrastructure having a communication system for communicating with vehicles over a wireless communication network, the infrastructure of maintaining a position of vehicles within the wireless communication network, the infrastructure providing turn-by-turn navigation assistance to vehicles in the wireless communication network;

a vehicle having an on-board device for communicating with the infrastructure over the wireless communication network, the on-board device enabling a communication channel with the infrastructure for requesting the turn-by-turn navigation assistance, the on-board navigation device further processing turn-by-turn navigation data received from the infrastructure;

wherein the on-board device receives a turn-by-turn navigation maplet from the infrastructure, wherein the on-board device identifies a geographical region associated with the received turn-by-turn navigation maplet, wherein the on-board device determines whether stop sign maplets already retained within a memory of the vehicle relates to the identified geographical region, wherein the vehicle on-board device requests stop sign maplets for the identified geographical regions from the infrastructure if the stop sign maplets retained within the memory of the vehicle do not relate to the identified geographical region, and wherein the requested stop sign maplets for the identified geographical region are transmitted from the infrastructure to the on-board device.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein a turn-by-turn navigation maplet transmitted to the vehicle comprises a set of nodes each having a geographical positioning identifier.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein a plurality of turn-by-turn navigation maplets representing respective segments of the navigation route are transmitted to the vehicle, wherein each respective turn-by-turn navigation maplet includes a set of nodes each having geographical positioning identifiers, wherein a determination is made for each respective geographical region whether respective stop sign maplets are already retained within the memory of the vehicle relating to the identified geographical regions, and wherein the on-board device requests stop sign maplets for respective geographical regions not retained in the memory of the vehicle.

18. The system of claim 15 wherein a turn-by-turn navigation maplet transmitted to the vehicle represents the entire navigation route as a single entity, wherein the turn-by-turn navigation maplet includes a plurality of nodes having geographical positioning identifiers that identify respective geographical regions making up the navigation route, wherein a determination is made for each respective geographical region whether respective stop sign maplets are already retained within the memory of the vehicle relating to the identified geographical regions, and wherein the on-board device requests stop sign maplets for the respective geographical region not retained in the memory of the vehicle.

19. The system of claim 15 further comprising a stop sign assistance program for analyzing a vehicle speed in relation to a designated stopping location at an intersection, wherein the stop sign assistance program enables a warning in response to the vehicle speed exceeding a threshold for stopping the vehicle at the designated stopping location.

20. The system of claim 15 wherein the on-board device protects a respective stop sign maplet from being deleted from in memory for a predetermined number of days after receiving the respective stop sign maplet, and wherein the stop sign maplet is deleted from memory after the retention period has expired.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein the on-board device extends the retention period for an additional predetermined period of time if the respective stop sign maplet is retrieved from memory within a second predetermined number of days since a last usage.

22. The system of claim 15 wherein the on-board device extends the retention period for an additional predetermined period of time if the vehicle maintains travel with a predetermined distance from the respective map data region.

23. The system of claim 15 wherein the on-board device extends the retention period for an additional predetermined period of time if the vehicle maintains travel with a predetermined distance of a residence address stored in memory.

24. The system of claim 15 wherein the stop sign maplets further includes speed limit data for the identified geographical region.

25. The system of claim 24 wherein the speed limit data includes curve speed limits that is used to determine whether a curve speed driver assistance warning should be issued to a driver of the vehicle.